COLD CRANK VEHICLE WARMS UP FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING. THEN PUTS GEAR IN REVERSE AND THE TRANSMISSION KICKS VIOLENTLY. SHIFT IN TO DRIVE ACCELERATE LET GO OF GAS PEDAL AND THE TRANSMISSION KICKS AGAIN TO A LOWER GEAR. TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT TAKE A WHILE TO CHANGE GEARS WHILE ACCELERATING
2015 Jeep Renegade
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Renegade years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Jeep Renegade are substantially higher than the model-year median of 79.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Renegade years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
400 reports with mileage · 111 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 170 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 161 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 129 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
170 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 JEEP RENEGADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED INTO FOURTH GEAR ON ITS OWN. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE WAS SLOW TO GAIN SPEED AND THEN SURGED SUDDENLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN APPROACHING A STOP AND WHILE TURNING IN EITHER…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 JEEP RENEGADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED INTO FOURTH GEAR ON ITS OWN. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE WAS SLOW TO GAIN SPEED AND THEN SURGED SUDDENLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN APPROACHING A STOP AND WHILE TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DEALERS: THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS: CHAMPION CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM (4505 WEST 96TH STREET, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46268, (317) 872-6200) AND TOM O'BRIEN CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM INDIANAPOLIS (4630 E 96TH ST, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46240, (317) 805-4400). THE TRANSMISSION WAS FLUSHED AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS PROVIDED, BUT THE DEALERS WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A PERMANENT REMEDY FOR THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V529000 (POWER TRAIN). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND DISABLED MY 4WD. ALL IT NEEDED WAS A THERMOSTAT. THEY TOLD ME ANYTIME THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON IT WILL DISABLE THE 4WD. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TURNS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON IT WILL DISABLE THE 4WD. I TRIED GOING THROUGH THE DEALER, JEEP, FIAT, CHRYSLER. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A SAF…
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MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND DISABLED MY 4WD. ALL IT NEEDED WAS A THERMOSTAT. THEY TOLD ME ANYTIME THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON IT WILL DISABLE THE 4WD. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TURNS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON IT WILL DISABLE THE 4WD. I TRIED GOING THROUGH THE DEALER, JEEP, FIAT, CHRYSLER. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT WOULD DISABLE THE 4WD. I TOLD THEM I BOUGHT A JEEP FOR IT'S 4WD CAPABILITIES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHOULD ONLY DISABLE 4WD IF IT IS A DRIVE TRAIN PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME IF THE WEATHER WAS BAD I SHOULD STAY HOME. WHAT GOOD IS A 4WD IF YOU CAN'T DEPEND ON IT. JEEP IS RATED OFF-ROAD. I CAN'T FIND ANY HELP IN THIS MATTER. ALL IT NEEDS IS A CHANGE IN THE COMMAND MODULE.
VEHICLE CUTS POWER WHILE TURNING AND TRYING TO ACCELERATE AT LOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT AND MAKING A LEFT/RIGHT TURN, OR PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY INTO TRAFFIC. SYMPTOMS ARE THAT THE VEHICLE STOPS ACCELERATING, LOSES POWER AND S…
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VEHICLE CUTS POWER WHILE TURNING AND TRYING TO ACCELERATE AT LOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT AND MAKING A LEFT/RIGHT TURN, OR PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY INTO TRAFFIC. SYMPTOMS ARE THAT THE VEHICLE STOPS ACCELERATING, LOSES POWER AND SLOWS TO A STOP FOR 5-10 SECONDS DESPITE HAVING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CONSISTENTLY PUSHED. I HAVE BEEN ALMOST HIT WHEN THIS OCCURS. IT POSSIBLY HAS TO DO WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM TURNING ON INADVERTENTLY, SINCE IT OCCURS USUALLY WITH UNEVEN PAVEMENT. DEALERSHIP STATES THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND HAVE PERFORMED SEVERAL SOFTWARE UPDATES TO NO AVAIL. THIS IS THE FIAT 9 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
THERE IS A POWER SURGE AT TIMES AND MAJORITY OF TIMES THERE IS A "LULL" OF POWER AT TAKE OFF. UPON DEPARTURE AT A STOP LIGHT, THERE IS HESITATION WHEN GAS IS APPLIED SO YOU HAVE TO HEAVILY APPLY GAS. OTHER TIMES YOU GO TO PARK AND COME TO STOP THEN THE CAR SURGES BEFORE PLACING IN PARK. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO MY DEALER SINCE P…
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THERE IS A POWER SURGE AT TIMES AND MAJORITY OF TIMES THERE IS A "LULL" OF POWER AT TAKE OFF. UPON DEPARTURE AT A STOP LIGHT, THERE IS HESITATION WHEN GAS IS APPLIED SO YOU HAVE TO HEAVILY APPLY GAS. OTHER TIMES YOU GO TO PARK AND COME TO STOP THEN THE CAR SURGES BEFORE PLACING IN PARK. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO MY DEALER SINCE PURCHASE SEVERAL TIMES SINCE MARCH 2018 WITH NO RESOLVE. THEY STATE NO RECALL AND NOTHING SHOWS UP WHEN TESTING IT. VEHICLE STILL
TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFTING INTO 1ST 2ND AND 3RD THAT CAUSES VECHILE TO SLOW DRASTICALLY THEN LUNGE INTO GEARS.
THIS TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN ACTING OUT OF SORTS SINCE ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD. ITS SHIFTS SLOWLY SOMETIMES, I CAN FELL A VIBRATION IN MY FOOT WHEN IT ON A PEDAL. IT OFTEN STAYS IN GEAR WITHOUT SHIFTING, OFTEN HAS A ROUGH SHIFT. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO LOOK AT IT THEY ALWAYS SAY THEY DETECT NOTHING
AFTER STOPPING, THE TRANSMISSION HAS TROUBLE CATCHING ON. THE CAR JOLTS FORWARD AND IT DOESN'T FEEL SAFE AT ALL. IF I EVER BRING IT UP TO MY DEALER OR A MECHANIC, THEY SAY IT'S JUST A JEEP PROBLEM. THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX IT. I'M WORRIED THERE MIGHT BE A BIGGER ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OF MY FRIENDS …
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AFTER STOPPING, THE TRANSMISSION HAS TROUBLE CATCHING ON. THE CAR JOLTS FORWARD AND IT DOESN'T FEEL SAFE AT ALL. IF I EVER BRING IT UP TO MY DEALER OR A MECHANIC, THEY SAY IT'S JUST A JEEP PROBLEM. THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX IT. I'M WORRIED THERE MIGHT BE A BIGGER ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OF MY FRIENDS WHO ALSO OWN A RENEGADE HAVE THIS PROBLEM.
THE COOLANT FAN WENT OFF TRACK AND STARTED SQUEALING AND GETTING STUCK, CAUSING THE FUSE TO BLOW. WITHIN A MONTH, AND AFTER REPLACING THE FUSE 3 TIMES, THE FAN MOTOR STOPPED WORKING AND BURNT UP COMPLETELY. ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER FAN, AND IT BLEW THE FUSE AGAIN AND BURNT UP THE NEW FAN MOTOR ALSO. ALSO, WITHIN TH…
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THE COOLANT FAN WENT OFF TRACK AND STARTED SQUEALING AND GETTING STUCK, CAUSING THE FUSE TO BLOW. WITHIN A MONTH, AND AFTER REPLACING THE FUSE 3 TIMES, THE FAN MOTOR STOPPED WORKING AND BURNT UP COMPLETELY. ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER FAN, AND IT BLEW THE FUSE AGAIN AND BURNT UP THE NEW FAN MOTOR ALSO. ALSO, WITHIN THE LAST MONTH (TODAY BEING 9/20/2018) MY CAR HAS BEEN JUMPING AND SHAKING WHEN IN DRIVE MODE. MAINLY OCCURS AFTER SPEEDS OF 40+ MPH HAVE BEEN REACHED AND WHEN VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A LONGER LENGTH OF TIME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 JEEP RENEGADE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER (SHEETS CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM, 250 AUTO PLAZA DRIVE, BECKLEY, WV 25801, (304)-252-4555) WAS CONTACTED TO SCHEDULE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER W…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 JEEP RENEGADE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER (SHEETS CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM, 250 AUTO PLAZA DRIVE, BECKLEY, WV 25801, (304)-252-4555) WAS CONTACTED TO SCHEDULE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,941. **TR THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. *JS
Official recalls
316V545000 · Trailer Hitches
Jul 20, 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jeep Renegade vehicles manufactured August 25, 2014, to June 25, 2016, equipped with a factory-installed optional trailer hitch package. The trailer hitch assembly may have been attached with only a single fastener per side, not three per side as required.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Without the proper amount of fasteners, the trailer hitch assembly may separate from the vehicle, and any towed vehicle may no longer be properly connected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install two additional fasteners per side, free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S62.
16V529000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jul 12, 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee and 2015 Chrysler 200, Jeep Renegade, RAM ProMaster, and 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles equipped with 9-speed automatic transmissions. The transmission sensor clusters may have insufficient crimps in the transmission wire harness, and as a result, the transmission may unexpectedly shift to neutral. On August 29, 2016 Chrysler added the 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles to this recall.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle unexpectedly shifts to neutral, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module and the Transmission Control Module and if necessary replace the transaxle range sensor wire harness, free of charge. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S55.
15V508000 · Electrical System:cybersecurity
Aug 12, 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Jeep Renegade vehicles manufactured September 18, 2014, to June 25, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with radios that have software vulnerabilities that can allow third-party access to certain networked vehicle control systems.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Exploitation of the software vulnerability may result in unauthorized remote modification and control of certain vehicle systems, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify and mail affected owners a USB drive that includes a software update that eliminates the vulnerability, free of charge. Optionally, owners may download the update to their own USB drive from http://www.driveuconnect.com/software-update/ or take their vehicle to a Chrysler dealer for immediate installation. In an effort to mitigate the effects of this security vulnerability, Chrysler has had the wireless service provider close the open cellular connection to the vehicle that provided unauthorized access to the vehicle network. This measure may not have been implemented on all vehicles and does not address access by other means that will be remedied by the software update. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R45.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1RQ15004 · Software Security Vulnerability
Opened Jul 24, 2015 · Closed Jan 5, 2016
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:software
On July 23, 2015, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) launched Safety Recall 15V-461 to remedy security vulnerabilities in approximately 1.4 million model year (MY) 2013 through 2015 vehicles equipped with Uconnect head units (HU) 8.4A (RA3 radio) and 8.4AN (RA4 radio) manufactured by Harman International.On July 24, 2015, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query, RQ 15-004, to investigate HU security vulnerabilities and remedy effectiveness in the recalled population and to determine whether similar units have been supplied for use in other FCA vehicles.In an August 11, 2015 letter, FCA submitted a second Part 573 safety recall report expanding the scope of the Uconnect RA4 model radio to include additional 7,810 MY 2015 Jeep Renegade vehicles manufactured from September 18, 2014 through June 25, 2015 (Recall 15V-508).Scope analysis indicated that Uconnect radios installed in FCA vehicles not included in recalls 15V-461 or 15V-508 (subject recalls) are not equipped with built-in cellular access or short range wireless communication features and, thus, do not contain the security vulnerabilities addressed by the subject recalls. SUBJECT VEHICLES: MY2014 through 2015 Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicles; MY2013 through 2015 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500 and 4500/5500 pickup trucks; MY2013 through 2015 Dodge Viper vehicles; and MY2015 Chrysler 200, 300, Jeep Renegade, Dodge Charger and Challenger vehicles.According to FCA, long and short range wireless vulnerabilities identified in the recalled vehicles could allow unauthorized third-party access to, and manipulation of, networked vehicle control systems.Successful exploitation of the vulnerabilities, coupled with reverse engineering of networked microprocessor control modules, could result in unauthorized manipulation of vehicle control systems. This unauthorized manipulation of vehicle controls and systems could expose the driver, vehicle occupants or other highway users to an increased risk of injury.FCA and its network provider, Sprint, conducted a nationwide campaign to block access to a radio communications port that was unintentionally left open.On July 27, 2015, short range wireless vulnerabilities were also blocked.Finally, third party security evaluation and regression testing identified vulnerabilities that were either remedied by Sprint or through updates to the FCA Uconnect software.ODI identified a total of 30 complaints or field reports on unique vehicles submitted by FCA (29) or received by NHTSA (1) alleging incidents of theft from a vehicle or anomalous performance that the owner alleged were caused by, or may have been caused by, remote hacking.Twenty-six (87%) of these reports were submitted after a magazine article was published on July 21, 2015, describing the remote hacking of an FCA vehicle by researchers who were able to affect the operation of various vehicle control systems, including the service brakes, steering, throttle and ignition.Most of the complaints involved vehicle systems that were not safety critical (e.g., complaints related to radio, navigation system, or air-conditioning control) and did not affect vehicle control.Three complaints reported engine stalls.One owner reported sudden unintended acceleration allegedly related to hacking.None of the complaints or field reports reviewed involved the steering and braking vehicle control effects demonstrated by the research hackers prior to the recall.There were no confirmed incidents of hacking in any of the records reviewed by ODI.The remedies completed by Sprint and FCA appear to have eliminated vulnerabilities that mi
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